Elevator tower assembled from prefabricated panels



July 7, 1953 T. c. NORTH 644,545

ELEVATOR TOWER ASSEMBLED FROM PREFABRICATED PANELS Filed Nov. 9, 1950 l 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 6'-, 263.9 a@ a9 c4, 6, J? l 17m o o o n i@ 4 J n i' "116 i. B 21 l u I Je U I6 Je se j mf un. J2"` --17 I 24 23 nl@ 55 J o 5 f 4 J4 .91 l 4 25 "e .54 tD I l '-13 11... l 14 16, lg 37 37 J6 15 15- 3 :l5 4 --4 l 'f' a o 3 5 Hf? 7 L l I l l 4; q r TOE/fs YS.

ELEVATOR TOWER ASSEMBLED FROM PREFABRICATED DANELs Filed Nov. 9. 1950 T. C. NORTH July 7, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 r l gu "2 All., .f7 7- roeA/s Ks,

my 7, 1953 T. c. NORTH 2,644,545

ELEVATOR TOWER ASSEMBLED FROM PREFABRICATED PANELS Filed Nov. 9, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 E IA//n/Toe,

Patented July 7, 1953 ELEVATOR TOWER ASSEMBLED FROM PREFABRICATED PAN ELS- Thomas C. North, Zelienople, Pa., assignor to Uni# versal Manufacturing Corp., Zelienople, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 9, 1950, Serial No. 194,792

(Cl. IS7-2) Claims. 1

This invention relates to elevator towers for handling building material, and more particularly to those constructed in sections from metal members.

The usual elevator tower of this type is assembled at the building site from a large number of separate metal members which are bolted together to form legs and braces and vertical guides for the elevator or lift. It requires a great deal of time and labor to build such a tower pieceby-piece, and ,it necessarily involves a considerable amount of bolting. Also, the hoist that operates the elevator and the base of the tower have to be bolted down to prevent them from moving toward each other, or else the hoist is spaced the desired distance from one side of the tower by intervening blocking elements engaging the side of the base. Neither system of holding the hoist is very satisfactory.

It isamong the objects of this invention to pro vide an elevator tower which is formed from prefabricated panels that can be quickly mounted on top of one another in two parallel stands without the use of bolts, which utilizes braces without bolts for quickly fastening the two stands of panels together, which has elevator guides permanently connected to the panels, which has a cathead that does not have to be bolted in place, and which has a specially arranged seat at the base of the tower for receiving the ends of blocking elements for spacing the hoist from the seat.

In accordance with this invention, the tower has a rectangular base frame, two opposite sides of which support a pair of parallel stands of superimposed, prefabricated, vertical panels. Each of the panels has a pair of tubular legs permanently connected by cross braces which permanently support a vertical tubular elevator guide between the legs. legs of the lowest pair of panels are telescoped over vertical pins secured to the corners oi the base frame. Preferably the lower ends of the elevator guides also may be telescoped over pins with which opposite sides of the base frame may be provided. The upper ends of the panel legs have pins projecting from them up into the lower ends of the panel legs above them. The same thing may be true of the elevator guides. The two stands of panels are connected by removable braces, preferably of the boltless type, whereby a rectangular tower is formed. A cathead is seated on top of a pair of diagonally opposite corners of the tower and projects outward from one of them. The cathead is provided with vertical openings that receive the top panel pins at The lower ends of the those two corners of the tower, and it includes a sheave near its center and a sheave supported by -ts projecting end. A lift is disposed inside the tower, where it is guided in its vertical travel by the tubular Vguides on the panels. The

lift is raised by a cable connected to it and eX- tending up over the center sheave of the cathead and then out and down around the outer sheave. The cable then extends down to the bottom of the tower and under a sheave attached to the From there To underlying corner of the base frame. the cable extends out tothe usual hoist.

block the'hoist away from the tower, a horizontal member is disposed outside of the base frame and is provided with a seat for hoist-blocking clements, such as timbers. This member is connected to the same corner of the frame as the base sheave and can be swung laterally on a vertical axis. Above the seat member the base sheave is journaled in a support that is pivotally connected with the corner of the frame in such a way that the sheave can be swung both vertically and horizontally. l The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

which Fig. 1 is a view of a panel side of the tower;

Fig. 5; and Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the line VIII-VIII of Fig. 5.

Referring to Fig. 5 of the drawings, the base A of the tower is a rigid rectangular frame formed from four angle bars I welded together at their ends and reinforced by triangular corner plates 2. Disposed in Veach Acorner of the `frame is a vertical sleeve 3 that is welded to the adjoining sides of the frame and to the corner plate on which it rests. A pin 4 is welded in each of these sleeves and projects above it. Midway between the two corner pins at two opposite sides of the' frame, a small base plate 5 is welded to the inside of the frame. A vertical sleeve 'l rests on each of these base plates a short distance from the adjacent side of the frame. The sleeves are welded to the plates and to narrow vertical plates 8 that are welded to the sides of the frame. Pins Si are welded in these sleeves Two opposite sides of the tower are formed from 2 parallel stands of superimposed-vertical panels B. VEach panel is prefabricated, preferably by V- 3 welding al1 of its constituent members together. As shown in Fig. 4, each panel is formed from a pair of tubular legs I l that are rigidly connected at their upper ends and near their central portions by horizontal braces I2 and I5, respectively, which also may be tubular. Inclined braces Id connect theopposite ends of the legs'to the central portion ofv thev lower horizontal brace I3. Welded to one side of the horizontal braces midway between the panel legs is a vertical tubular member l I B that serves as an elevator guide.VV This member is the same length as the legsV of; the. panel. Welded in the upper ends of the legs andthe elevator guide are pins I'I which projectN above ,theml and which are adapted to telescope intofthelowerends of the legs and guide of a like panel mounted on the one just described. In thisway, any number of panels can be set on top of one another with their legs and elevator guides in alignment. It is desirable to connect the adjoining ends of the elevator guides together by pinsv in. this..

manner, because a considerable lengthof each guide below the center brace I3 is not supported by anything.

For holding the two standsv of panels B upright and parallel to each other, they are con-v nected by removable horizontal braces I8 and inclined braces I9, as sh-own in Fig. 2. Although any suitable brace may beused for this purpose, it is preferred to use braces that do not require bolts to hold them in place. One type of such a brace is shown in the cop-ending patent application of John A. Kirkpatrick, Serial Number 76,828, filed February 16, 1949. As there shown, the ends of the braces. are notched to permit them to be slid sideways into notched brackets 2| ,attached to the sides of the panel legs. rIhe braces may be held in the brackets by vertical pins 22 that can be raised to release the braces. The brace sid-e of the tower where the loading and unloading is done may omit braces I8 and I9 at the different landing levels to provide accessi` openings. In place of the omitted braces, trussed braces 23 may be substituted at the top of the access openings by attaching them to the panel legs by clamps 24.

Resting on top of the tower is a cathead C formed from a pair of spaced parallel channels 26 that extendY diagonally across the tower. As shown in Fig. 3, the channels are spaced apart byv a pair of vertical sleeves. 21 thatreceive the pins I'I at two diagonally opposite cornerso the tower to hold the channels. upright and in. place. The cathead helps to hold the tower square. The cathead projects outward fromone corner of the tower and has a sheave 28; journaled, in theprojecting ends of the channels. Another sheave4 29 is. journaled in the channels near the center. of the tower. These sheaves support av cable 3l which extends down into the tower to support an elevator or a lift D. The lift has a central top beam 32, the ends of which support theupper ends ofV two pairs ofV laterally spaced, vertical angle bars 33. Each pair of these bars has parallel flanges that straddle the adjacent elevator guide I6 and slide up and. down on. the guide when the cable is raised or lowered. Thev lower ends of the two pairs of bars 33 support the oor 34 of the lift, which also is connectedtothe upper part of the bars by inclined braces 35.

The ypart of the lift-actuating cable 3l that extends down over the outer sheave28of the catheadpasses under` a sheave 37, connected to the underlying corner of the base frame of the tower,

and then out to ahoist:,E,.shown.in Figa. As

best shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, this base sheave is journaled in the outer ends of a pair of supporting links 33, the inner ends of which are pivotally mounted on a horizontal pin 39 located between the sheave and the adjacent corner of the base frame A. The pin is supported 'by the outer end'ofia U-shape bracket. III; that: extends around avertical pivot pin 4-2 mountedin parallel upper and lower plates B3 and 44 which are welded to angle bars I at the corner of the base frame. These` plates are connected by vertical side, plates. 46, which in turn are connected by a verticalV cross plate 4l between the horizontal plates. This mounting of. the base sheave 31 forms. a. swivel connection that permits the sheave toY swing upand down and sideways.

To avoid having to bolt down the tower and the hoist, and to provide a denite and adjustable seat for blocking timbers 5U between the tower and the hoist, a short horizontal angle bar 55- is connected to the same outerfcornerof base frame A as sheave 3'I. This bar is. located dir-ectly in front of the pivot pins 39 and 42'.. Welded to the central part of the frame4 side.r of' the bar is a short: plate 52.r that is pivotally mounted on the vertical pin til-:beneath the U- shape bracket 4I. 5I, which may have. its centralv portion` cut away to permit links 38 to swingdown. across` the bar, forms an abutment for the ends of 'the' blocking;

timbers Eil that reston the lower ilange of the.

bar. Thus, the bar forms a seat for the-timbers; the otherV ends of which arev braced against thehoist. The vertical flanges of the seataba-r maybe reinforced by parallel vertical plates 53-welded to both anges'of thebar. With this arrange-- ment, the hoist is blocked against seat bar 5I and does not exert anyv pressure against the tower base. Due to the pivotal connection of the seat bar to the base, the hoist can be locatedy in different positions around the adjacent cornerY of the tower and` yet alwaysbe'- squared upY with the bar. Because both the bar and the base sheave support are pivotally mounted on thev same vertical pin, thesheave can always' be, swung sideways with the bar to keep itin linev with thefhoist.

An elevator tower constructedv in accordance with this invention can be put up in a very'sma-ll fraction of the time that is requiredfoirerecting' conventional towers. All ,that hasv to be Vdone-is to set the side panels B on top ofoneA another on baseA 8,Y connect thetwo panel'- sides of the,

tower Yby the quickly installed cross braces; .andvv now consider to represent itsbest embodiment.

However, I desire to have it understood" that, within the scope of the appended: claims, the invention may be practicedl otherwise than asspecifically illustrated and'described.

I claim:

1. An elevator tower comprising a rectangular base frame, pins projecting upward' from the` corners of the frame, a pair of.' parallelsta-nds of superimposed" prefabricated vertical panels` supportedby tworoppositefsides ofithe baseframe;

The vertical langeV of thebar each of the panels having a pair of tubular legs permanently connected by cross braces permanently supporting a vertical tubular elevator guide between the legs, the lower ends of the legs of the lowest pair of panels being teleseoped over the base frame pins, pins projectingr from the upper ends of said legs and telescoped into the lower ends of the panel legs above them, removable braces connecting the two stands of panels, a cathead seated on top of a pair of diagonally opposite corners of the tower and projecting outward from one of them, the cathead being provided with vertical openings receiving the top panel pins at said corners and including a sheave near its center and a sheave supported by its projecting end, a sheave attached to the corner of the base frame beneath said projecting cathead sheave, a lift-actuating cable extending under the base sheave and up and over the cat head sheaves and down :into the tower, and a lift suspended in the tower by the cable and slidable vertically on said guides.

2. In an elevator tower, a base comprising a rigid rectangular frame, a horizontal member outside. of the frame forming a seat for hoistbloclzing elements, means pivotally connecting said member to the frame on a vertical axis to permit said member to be swung sideways, a vertical sheave above said member, a support for vthe sheave, and means pivotally connecting said support to the frame on said vertical axis to permit the sheave to be swung sideways relative to the frame and said seat member.

3. In an elevator tower, a base comprising a rigid rectangular frame, a horizontal member outside of the frame forming a seat for hoistblocking elements, a vertical pivot pin outside of the frame and connected thereto, said seat member being pivotally mounted on the pin, a vertical sheave above said member, a vsupport for the sheave, and means pivotally mounted on saidpin and connected to said sheave support to permit that support to be swung sideways relative to the frame and said seat member.

4. In an elevatorvtower, a'base comprising a rigid rectangular frame, a horizontal member outside of the frame forming `a seat for hoistblocking elements, a vertical pivot pin outside of the frame and connected thereto, said seat member being pivotally mounted on the pin, a vertical sheave above said member, a support for the sheave, a bracket pivotally mounted on said pin, and means pivo-tally connecting said sheave support to the bracket on a horizontal axis, whereby the sheave can be swung vertically and horizontally.

5. iii an elevator tower, a base comprising a rigid rectangular frame, a horizontal angle bar outside of the frame and normally disposed diagonally of one frame corner, one flange of the angle bar projecting upward from the other ange along the side nearest the frame, a connecting member fastened to the central part oi the bar and extending toward said frame corner, a vertical pivot pin extending through said member, means secured to said frame corner for supporting the pin, a bracket pivotally mounted on the pin above said connecting member, a vertical sheave above said bar, a support for the sheave, and a horizontal pivot pin connecting said sheave support to the bracket between the vertical pin and the bar.

THOMAS C. NORTH.

Name 4 Date Scannell i Apr. 10, 1932 Number 

